HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The Huntsville school board on Tuesday voted to cancel the contracts of 103 teachers in an effort to place the employees on a reduced salary schedule that had been approved last month.

Board members emphasized, however, that the teachers in question would not be out of a job.

Dr. Ed Richardson, a former state superintendent and consultant to the system, explained that the contracts were not renewed because they were based on the system's old salary schedule.

The board on April 21 adopted a new salary schedule that mirrors the state's minimum pay plan for school employees. That means Huntsville will pay less to employees coming into the system now than those who came into the system before the change.

Teachers who had worked more than three years and earned tenure did not receive a pay cut.

But the switch may lead to a pay cut for some of the 103 non-tenured teachers in question on Tuesday. Those teachers will immediately be offered re-employment with the system, and some may see new contracts with smaller pay rates.

Richardson had, at the April 21 meeting, promised to bring the board a proposal in May that would build upon the state's salary schedule and make Huntsville's salary schedule more competitive with others in the area.

Richardson said on Tuesday that he had initially forgot about the pledge he made last month. He told board members he only received the data he needed to build up the salary schedule on Tuesday.

He said he would like to come back at the June 2 meeting with a proposal that would fulfill the commitment he made.

Board member David Blair said after the meeting that the new contracts the employees are given could potentially be altered after the salary schedule is updated to undo the pay cuts.

Rex Cheatham, Uniserv director for the Alabama Education Association's Huntsville chapter, said he was disappointed that Richardson failed to live up to his promise.

"I am very disappointed that the employees did not receive the new salary schedule as Dr. Richardson had promised the board and employees," Cheatham said. "We hope he will bring that schedule to the June meeting as again promised."